Solved vs. Cleared Up

“There are two kinds of people, those who finish what they start and so on.”

~ Robert Byrne

Solved vs. Cleared Up

By Steve Straus

Have you ever read a detective novel or watched a cop show? In them you’ve seen the lead detective wrap up the case with a flourish.

If he or she is playing the role of a less-than-sympathetic character, the case is merely cleared up. That means all they did was handle it enough to get it off their desk. As readers/viewers we don’t really like that because it’s not a satisfying conclusion. Something’s off.

If, on the other hand, the detective is playing a star role, he or she will solve the case. That means it comes to a completion, not just shuffled along. We like completions. We like seeing things wrapped up with little remaining unsolved. Solved feels good.

Cleared up feels … I don’t know … wanting? If not the result of actual sleazy behavior by a corner-cutting functionary, a case merely cleared up is not satisfying. We know better work could have been done.

Like the fictional detectives, you and I perform every day with the same two options.